Birds die in tailings pond, companies not at fault

The Alberta Energy Regulator says oil sands companies Syncrude, Suncor and CNRL were following the rules when 196 birds died on tailings ponds in early November.

Heavy fog and heavy, wet snow were deemed factors in why the waterfowl landed on the toxic ponds on November 4th despite deterrents being in place.

The AER had stated 122 birds were believed to have died, but revised the total. The birds died at Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.’s Horizon mine, Syncrude’s Mildred Lake operation and the Suncor Energy mine.

Deterrent systems on the tailings ponds were in place and functioning at the time of the accident, AER spokesman Ryan Bartlett told the Edmonton Journal.

An addition: According to a study done in 2013 by Avian Conservation and Ecology 2646 birds are killed by wind turbines each year in Alberta. In Ontario it’s over 10,000. The same group reports the mean estimated annual bird deaths from collisions with buildings (house, medium and high buildings) to be in the neighbourhood of 24-million birds per year. Houses have the most devastating impact because of their sheer numbers.